44-707: SS Aztec was a cargo steamship that was built in England in 1894 as Canterbury . She was renamed Aztec when she changed owners in 1895. The Pacific Mail Steamship Company bought her in 1897. In March 1917 she was the first United States merchant ship to be defensively armed in response to the Central Powers ' attacks on neutral US shipping in the First World War. A U-boat sank Aztec in April 1917, killing 28 of her ship's company . 11 were US citizens, making her
88-454: A ship . The name originates from the French word for stern , poupe , from Latin puppis . Thus the poop deck is technically a stern deck , which in sailing ships was usually elevated as the roof of the stern or "after" cabin, also known as the "poop cabin" (or simply the poop ). On sailing ships, the helmsman would steer the craft from the quarterdeck , immediately in front of
132-505: A life expectancy of 25 to 30 years before being scrapped. The words cargo and freight have become interchangeable in casual usage. Technically, "cargo" refers to the goods carried aboard the ship for hire, while "freight" refers to the act of carrying of such cargo, but the terms have been used interchangeably for centuries. Generally, the modern ocean shipping business is divided into two classes: Larger cargo ships are generally operated by shipping lines : companies that specialize in
176-571: A lighthouse at a range of 9 to 10 nautical miles (17 to 19 km), and the sighted the lights of an unidentified craft. Once they were sure it was not a submarine, they signaled to it with a Coston flare . The craft was a French Navy trawler . One early report said her name was Sirius ; a later one said it was Jeanne d'Arc . The trawler towed the Number 1 boat until the sea calmed enough to transfer survivors aboard, then searched for Number 3 boat and its 18 occupants. A second patrol craft joined
220-608: A merchant ship's prefix, denotes that it is a T urbine S teamer. Famous cargo ships include the 2,710 Liberty ships of World War II , partly based on a British design . Liberty ship sections were prefabricated in locations across the United States and then assembled by shipbuilders in an average of six weeks, with the record being just over four days. These ships allowed the Allies in World War II to replace sunken cargo vessels at
264-529: A narrow channel between Indonesia and Singapore / Malaysia , and cargo ships are still commonly targeted. In 2004, the governments of those three nations agreed to provide better protection for the ships passing through the Straits. The waters off Somalia and Nigeria are also prone to piracy, while smaller vessels are also in danger along parts of the South American coasts, Southeast Asian coasts, and near
308-557: A rate greater than the Kriegsmarine 's U-boats could sink them, and contributed significantly to the war effort, the delivery of supplies, and eventual victory over the Axis powers. Liberty ships were followed by the faster Victory ships . Canada built Park ships and Fort ships to meet the demand for the Allies shipping. The United Kingdom built Empire ships and used US Ocean ships . After
352-431: A separate category). Cargo ships fall into two further categories that reflect the services they offer to industry: liner and tramp services. Those on a fixed published schedule and fixed tariff rates are cargo liners. Tramp ships do not have fixed schedules. Users charter them to haul loads. Generally, the smaller shipping companies and private individuals operate tramp ships. Cargo liners run on fixed schedules published by
396-460: A three-cylinder triple-expansion engine built by Blair and Company of Stockton-on-Tees that was rated at 299 NHP . As built, the ship was a coal-burner. By 1914 she had been converted to burn oil fuel. In 1895 Albert Smith of London bought Canterbury , renamed her Aztec , and registered her in London . Her United Kingdom official number was 104837 and her code letters were NRHS. In 1897
440-433: Is increasing: with bunker fuel consumption at 278 million tonnes per year in 2001, it is projected to be at 500 million tonnes per year in 2020. International standards to dramatically reduce sulphur content in marine fuels and nitrogen oxide emissions have been put in place. Among some of the solutions offered is changing over the fuel intake to clean diesel or marine gas oil, while in restricted waters and cold ironing
484-717: The Caribbean Sea . A category designation appears before the vessel's name. A few examples of prefixes for naval ships are "USS" ( United States Ship ), "HMS" ( Her/His Majesty’s Ship ), "HMCS" ( Her/His Majesty's Canadian Ship ) and "HTMS" (His Thai Majesty's Ship), while a few examples for prefixes for merchant ships are "RMS" ( Royal Mail Ship , usually a passenger liner), "MV" ( Motor Vessel , powered by diesel ), "MT" (Motor Tanker, powered vessel carrying liquids only) "FV" Fishing Vessel and "SS" ( Screw Steamer , driven by propellers or screws, often understood to stand for Steamship ). "TS", sometimes found in first position before
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#1733085650091528-503: The European Union is planning stricter controls on emissions. Cargo ships have been reported to have a possible negative impact on the population of whale sharks. Smithsonian Magazine reported in 2022 that whale sharks , the largest species of fish, have been disappearing mysteriously over the past 75 years, with research pointing to cargo ships and large vessels as the likely culprits. A study involving over 75 researchers highlighted
572-725: The Hawaii House of Representatives to honor the five Hawaiians. It asked Hawaiians to "Remember the Aztec " as people had "Remembered the USS ; Maine " which was sunk by an explosion in Havana Harbor in 1898. Judge Clarence W. Ashford of the Hawaii state circuit court wrote to both houses of the Territorial Legislature , proposing a memorial service for the five Hawaiians. The service
616-474: The Southwestern Approaches at position 48°20′N 06°00′W / 48.333°N 6.000°W / 48.333; -6.000 , 25 nautical miles (46 km) west of Ushant . It was a moonlit night, but with hail and rain squalls impairing visibility. None of Aztec ' s complement saw a submarine or torpedo. Aztec was listing to starboard, and that side of the ship was in the lee from
660-765: The Pacific Mail Steamship Company bought Aztec and registered her in Honolulu in the Republic of Hawaii . By 1898 her code letters were HBFN, and by 1899 her Hawaiian official number was 324. By 1901 she was still registered in Hawaii, but under the United States, with the US official number 107547 and code letters KPWD. By 1902 she was registered in New York . By 1914 Aztec was equipped with wireless telegraphy . Her call sign
704-854: The US Embassy. With no sighting of a submarine or torpedo, Ambassador William G. Sharp 's report to Washington, D.C. gave the impression that the ship could have struck a mine . Some survivors returned to the US via Bordeaux , where they embarked on the CGT liner La Touraine to New York. They included Charles Nakalo, the only native Hawaiian survivor. Captain O'Brien and the surviving members of his merchant crew reached New York on 20 April. Lieutenant Gresham and his surviving gunners went to England via Boulogne and Folkestone . They embarked on American Line 's Manchuria , which on 25 April reached New York, where they reported to Brooklyn Navy Yard . On 2 April, Wilson asked Congress to declare war against Germany. At
748-434: The bill being enacted. Secretary of State Robert Lansing and Navy Secretary Josephus Daniels thought that he did. On 9 March, Wilson told Congress that he would start arming US merchant ships at once; that US Navy shipyards had already made all necessary preparations to do so; and work would start on 12 March. Aztec was the first US merchant ship to be armed. She was equipped with two 5-inch guns : one forward, and
792-418: The bill's scope and powers. Republican Senator Robert M. La Follette of Wisconsin led a small group of Progressive Republicans who filibustered it on 28 February and 2, 3, and 4 March, ensuring that it was talked out before the end of the 64th United States Congress . On 5 March, Wilson asked Attorney General Thomas Gregory whether he had the power to arm merchant ships under existing law, without
836-405: The boat may also have capsized. Gresham had ordered his men to take a Colt machine gun and several hundred rounds of ammunition in Number 1 boat. But the boat was small and crowded, and twice nearly capsized in the heavy sea, so he ordered the gun and ammunition thrown overboard. Boats 1 and 3 were separated after about 15 minutes. After about three hours the occupants of Number 1 boat could see
880-408: The canal locks a ship can fit in, water depth ( draft ) is a limitation for canals, shallow straits or harbors and height is a limitation in order to pass under bridges. Common categories include: [REDACTED] The TI-class supertanker is an Ultra Large Crude Carrier, with a draft that is deeper than Suezmax, Malaccamax and Neopanamax. This causes Atlantic/Pacific routes to be very long, such as
924-495: The cargo ship Housatonic , and on 12 February U-35 did the same to the schooner Lyman M. Law . On 26 February President Wilson addressed both houses of Congress, asking for the power to arm US merchant ships defensively, and to give those ships gunners to crew them. The House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed an Armed Ships Bill , but on 28 February the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee reduced
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#1733085650091968-465: The danger posed to whale sharks by shipping activities in various regions, including Ecuador, Mexico, Malaysia, the Philippines, Oman, Seychelles, and Taiwan. See also, similar role:- Empire ship , Fort ship , Park ship , Ocean ship . Poop deck In naval architecture , a poop deck is a deck that forms the roof of a cabin built in the rear, or " aft ", part of the superstructure of
1012-434: The debate, La Follette called Aztec a "problematic" case because she had been armed. When the motion was put on 6 April, he voted against it. However, both houses of Congress passed it overwhelmingly, and the US declared war on Germany . The men killed in Aztec ' s sinking included five native Hawaiians, one Chinese who lived in Hawaii, and one Tahitian . Representative George Kawaha prepared an adjournment motion for
1056-405: The handling of cargo in general. Smaller vessels, such as coasters , are often owned by their operators. Cargo ships/freighters can be divided into eight groups, according to the type of cargo they carry. These groups are: Specialized types of cargo vessels include container ships and bulk carriers (technically tankers of all sizes are cargo ships, although they are routinely thought of as
1100-407: The high wind. The crew launched boats 1 and 3 on that side. Captain O'Brien commanded Number 1 boat. His Second Officer commanded Number 3 boat. Despite the list to starboard, and the high wind on the port side, some of the crew tried to launch the number 2 boat on that side. The boat crashed against the side of the ship, and some of the crew were either crushed or drowned. According to some accounts,
1144-697: The locks on the Saint Lawrence Seaway . The earliest records of waterborne activity mention the carriage of items for trade; the evidence of history and archaeology shows the practice to be widespread by the beginning of the 1st millennium BC, and as early as the 14th and 15th centuries BC small Mediterranean cargo ships like those of the 50 foot long (15–16 metre) Uluburun ship were carrying 20 tons of exotic cargo; 11 tons of raw copper, jars, glass, ivory, gold, spices, and treasures from Canaan , Greece , Egypt , and Africa . The desire to operate trade routes over longer distances, and throughout more seasons of
1188-586: The long voyages south of Cape of Good Hope or south of Cape Horn to transit between Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Lake freighters built for the Great Lakes in North America differ in design from sea water–going ships because of the difference in wave size and frequency in the lakes. A number of these ships are larger than Seawaymax and cannot leave the lakes and pass to the Atlantic Ocean, since they do not fit
1232-559: The other on her poop. A lieutenant and 11 ratings were detached from USS Dolphin at Washington Navy Yard and transferred to Aztec to crew her guns. On 18 March 1917 Aztec left New York for Le Havre in France with a cargo of copper, steel, lumber, machinery, and chemicals. On the voyage, Lieutenant William Fuller Gresham, the Navy officer, ordered gunnery practice twice every day, aiming at barrels thrown overboard. On 1 April Aztec
1276-416: The poop deck. At the stern, the poop deck provides an elevated position ideal for observation . While the main purpose of the poop is adding buoyancy to the aft, on a sailing ship the cabin was also used as an accommodation for the shipmaster and officers. On modern, motorized warships , the ship functions which were once carried out on the poop deck have been moved to the bridge , usually located in
1320-419: The same measurements, was launched on 21 June as Canterbury and completed that September for Blindell Brothers and Company of Newcastle upon Tyne . Canterbury ' s registered length was 349.2 ft (106.4 m), her beam was 43.0 ft (13.1 m), and her depth was 26.6 ft (8.1 m). As built, her tonnages were 3,508 GRT and 2,303 NRT . She had a single screw , driven by
1364-528: The search, but Number 3 boat was never found. It was presumed to have been swamped or capsized in the rough sea. The trawler then took the survivors to Brest . A total of 28 men from Aztec were lost. 27 were members of her merchant crew, and one was a Navy gunner. Survivors suffered from intense cold, worsened by the rain, and the sea washing over the lifeboat. Some were hospitalised in Brest. On 4 April, Captain O'Brien and Lieutenant Gresham went to Paris to report to
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1408-504: The ship while it is in port. The process of removing sulphur from the fuel impacts the viscosity and lubricity of the marine gas oil though, which could cause damage in the engine fuel pump . The fuel viscosity can be raised by cooling the fuel down. If the various requirements are enforced, the International Maritime Organization 's marine fuel requirement will mean a 90% reduction in sulphur oxide emissions; whilst
1452-468: The shipping companies. Each trip a liner takes is called a voyage. Liners mostly carry general cargo. However, some cargo liners may carry passengers also. A cargo liner that carries 12 or more passengers is called a combination or passenger-run-cargo line. Cargo ships are categorized partly by cargo or shipping capacity ( tonnage ), partly by weight ( deadweight tonnage DWT), and partly by dimensions. Maximum dimensions such as length and width ( beam ) limit
1496-678: The third US merchant ship to suffer fatalities when sunk by the Imperial German Navy while the US was still neutral. Six of her crew were native Hawaiians , and all but one of them were killed. They were the first native Hawaiians killed by German forces in the First World War. President Woodrow Wilson had already decided to ask the United States Congress to declare war before Aztec was sunk. The sinkings of other US merchant ships before her, including two with fatalities in March 1917,
1540-515: The time, news of Aztec ' s, late on the evening of 1 April, had not yet reached Washington. However, before the final vote was taken, Congress members had received news of the sinkings of not only Aztec on 1 April but also the cargo ship Missourian on 4 April. All of Missourian ' s crew survived, but US merchant seafarers had already been killed in the sinkings of Vigilancia on 16 March and Healdton on 21 March. Five other US merchant ships had also been sunk since 1 February. During
1584-775: The war many of the ships were sold to private companies. The Ever Given is a ship that was lodged into the Suez Canal from March 25 to 28, 2021, which caused a halt on maritime trade. The MV Dali , which collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore , Maryland , United States , on 26 March 2024, causing a catastrophic structural failure of the bridge that resulted in at least 6 deaths. Due to its low cost, most large cargo vessels are powered by bunker fuel , also known as heavy fuel oil, which contains higher sulphur levels than diesel. This level of pollution
1628-563: The year, motivated improvements in ship design during the Middle Ages . Before the middle of the 19th century, the incidence of piracy resulted in most cargo ships being armed, sometimes quite heavily, as in the case of the Manila galleons and East Indiamen . They were also sometimes escorted by warships . Piracy is still quite common in some waters, particularly in the Malacca Straits ,
1672-486: Was WWQ. News reports from 1917 say that the Oriental Navigation Company, of 17 Battery Place, New York, either owned Aztec , or managed her for Pacific Mail. An Oriental Navigation Company with that address did exist, but was not incorporated until 1923. While the US was neutral in the First World War, Pacific Mail had neutrality markings painted on Aztec ' s hull. Amidships below her superstructure
1716-651: Was followed by a flotilla going out to sea and casting flowers into the Pacific . Cargo ship A cargo ship or freighter is a merchant ship that carries cargo , goods , and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year, handling the bulk of international trade . Cargo ships are usually specially designed for the task, often being equipped with cranes and other mechanisms to load and unload, and come in all sizes. Today, they are almost always built of welded steel , and with some exceptions generally have
1760-653: Was held on Sunday 22 April 1917 at ʻIolani Palace in Honolulu, attended by about 2,000 people, including members of both houses of the Territorial Legislature, and the consuls of countries including China, France, Japan, Spain, and the United Kingdom. On 2 April 2017 The Hawaii World War I Centennial Task Force commemorated the centenary of Aztec ' s sinking. A ceremony at Aloha Tower in Honolulu Harbor
1804-695: Was one of the factors that helped to ensure a congressional majority to declare war before the news of Aztec ' s loss reached the US. However, the news did affect political and public opinion in the Territory of Hawaii . In 1894 the Edwards Shipbuilding Company at Howdon on the River Tyne built three sister ships . Yard numbers 67 and 68 were launched on 20 February and 7 April as Kurrachee and Caspian respectively. Both ships were for Nelson, Donkin and Company of London. Yard number 69, built to
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1848-474: Was only a few hours away from the coast of Brittany when the German submarine SM U-46 torpedoed her without warning at 21:30 hrs. Her port side was hit amidships, she heeled over to starboard , and a man on deck was thrown overboard. The impact put her electric lighting and wireless out of action. She settled by her bow and listed to starboard. Lieutenant Gresham ordered his crews to their guns. As her bow
1892-495: Was painted "S.S. AZTEC NEW YORK U.S.A." in large white capital letters on her black hull. The Flag of the United States was painted on two places on each side of her hull: abreast of her foremast, and abreast of her poop . Despite US neutrality, the Central Powers sank a number of US merchant ships. On 1 February 1917 Germany announced it was resuming unrestricted submarine warfare . On 3 February U-53 captured and scuttled
1936-474: Was sinking, Number 1 gun could not be used. Number 2 gun on her poop was quickly manned, but neither Gresham nor the gun crew could see the attacker. By about 21:40 hrs her bow was under water, and her Master , Captain Walter O'Brien, gave the order to abandon ship. The Third Engineer shut down her furnaces, cut off the oil supply, stopped her engine, and evacuated the engine room and stokehold . Aztec sank in
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